The Goddess and The Vampire Page 13

Chapter Twelve

  I DROVE TO the apartment complex that bordered the Mansion’s property. They were sleek and modern and I never liked the look of them. This was where Grandfather had found a place to stay. It was also where Ravenhawk the Witch lived. I parked halfway between their apartments and headed for Grandfather’s place first.

  “What the hell am I supposed to do with a blender?” Grandfather said. He held the super blender at arm’s length like a dangerous animal. “The apartment came with a microwave and I’m not even sure I’ll ever use that.”

  “You can make smoothies.” I said and pointed at the box’s side. “And salsas.”

  “I saw a video online where someone blended an iPhone.” Grandfather said and sat the blender down on his small dining room table. “Maybe I’ll start with a smoothie.”

  “So how do you like your new digs?” I said and looked around the 600 square foot apartment. “Looks cozy.”

  “Yeah, it’s small.” Grandfather said and waved his hand in an arc. “Not everyone wants to live in an aircraft hangar, you know.”

  “Yeah, it reminds me of the first place we lived when we moved here.” I said as I crossed the room in three steps. “Remember that sod house? Now that was a small room.”

  “Yup, those were the good old days, eh?” Grandfather rubbed the white stubble on his chin and looked thoughtful for a moment. “I came across some Information the other day you might be interested in.”

  “Oh?” I said and sat down on one of the two seats next to the A/C vent. “And what will it cost me to get it?”

  “This one’s a freebie.” Grandfather said as he patted the air in a placating gesture. “One of Fredric’s human companions, a woman named Shirley. She’s been running around town trying to sell some kind of information about Fredric. She says it’s a big dollar bit of Info. Fedor told her to peddle it elsewhere.”

  “Fedor turned information away?” I said and raised an eyebrow. “How did she look?”

  “She looked tired.” Grandfather said and nodded in sympathy. “Fredric’s been dead for a couple of weeks now. I guess she’s on the lookout for some nice vampire to take his place.”

  I looked at Grandfather and felt the trap spring shut. The door to his bedroom squeaked open. A tall blonde woman wearing tight fitting jeans and a white T-shirt stepped out. Hints that she had once been a beautiful woman shown on her face. Grief and loss had taken their toll on her. That and the fact she was a vampire’s Chosen and she probably should have died a long time ago.

  “Hey, I’m Shirley.” Shirley said and plopped down on the sofa next me. “I have some Information I’d be willing to share in exchange for a bit of your attention.”

  Shirley tilted her head and gave me a hopeful look. She batted her eyes and I could feel she was nearing the end of her use by date. Her smile had a seriously desperate feel to it. I relaxed and stared into her, letting my senses expand around her need. Her heart was beating too fast and she couldn’t sit still for more than a few seconds at a time. I’d never heard of a Donor living this long without becoming another vampire’s blood slave.

  “I’m guessing Fredric had been weaning you off his power for a while or you’d be dead by now.” I said and leaned away from her. “So either he knew he was in danger, or he was replacing you with someone new.”

  “That’s not the information I have.” Shirley said and frowned in a way that made any sign of beauty vanish from her face. “He said he was tired of me. I told him I wouldn’t bother him. I just needed him to feed on me occasionally. You understand.”

  “Oh, I understand.” I said and shot a glance at Grandfather. “Over the years I’ve had other cast-offs under my wing for a time. It really is a bit embarrassing how few vampires can stand another vampire’s Chosen.”

  “I’m not asking for you to make me one of your Chosen.” Shirley said in a shaky voice. “I don’t even know you. I just want you to feed on me and give me a little energy. Just enough so I can leave town. I met a vampire online who is the Master of a big city on the East coast.”

  “Of course, a Master.” I said and smiled. “Not just some lonely loser trolling the internet for his next mark. A castoff makes a perfect victim. No family, well, none living anyway. No one to protect them, no one who cares. Here you are like any junkie, willing to do anything for one more hit. But I’m sure Grandfather told you I’m one of the nice ones.”

  “You’re not that nice.” Grandfather said and averted his eyes. “Feed on her already, it makes my teeth hurt to look at her.”

  “What’s your information, Shirley?” I said as I leaned my head close to her neck.

  “Carlo is spending a lot of time in Azle.” Shirley said and leaned toward me until my lips brushed the skin below her ear. “But he’s also spending a lot of time in the Shadow Realm. Fredric spent time there as well. He finds things.”

  “What kind of things?” I said and put my hands on her shoulders to hold her still.

  “The kind of things Kilestra wouldn’t like people to find.” Shirley said and looked around quickly. “The kind of things a lot of Elves might not like being found either.”

  “You're saying Kilestra had a good reason to kill Fredric?” I said and pushed her away. I thought about feeding on her and letting it kill her. The Little Death was twisting my thoughts. “I can’t help you right now.”

  “I’ve got better Information about Fredric.” Shirley said and looked at my ring. “But I’m guessing you're like Fedor and don’t want to hear it.”

  I started to say that I did want to hear it, but there was a sudden pocket of emptiness in my mind. I couldn’t quite remember what I had said. I was now in the hallway leading out to the parking lot. Guess I decided to ignore Shirley’s info about Fredric.

  RAOUL AND IZUMI were parked next to the Dodge when I came out. I was feeling a bit light headed and my skin had that translucence a vampire gets when he misses a couple of meals. Raoul rolled down the passenger side window and glared at me.

  “Yo, you should think about handing over Kilestra to us.” Raoul said and adjusted his position with a grimace. “Then maybe we could do a little favor for you.”

  “What kind of favor?” I said and looked into Raoul’s dark Werebear eyes.

  “You don’t look so good, my friend.” Raoul said and nodded. “I have something that could help pick you up a bit. I even have enough for that hardass boss of yours.”

  “You’ve got some of the cure?” I said and let power flash in my eyes. “I thought you didn’t have anything to do with the attack?”

  “We like to be prepared.” Izumi said and nodded slowly. “You never know what might come in handy. And sadly, there are many ‘cures’ that do not work as well as ours. Cure and curse have to be balanced. It has to do with Yin and Yang, you understand.”

  “Just happen to be friends with the people who make The Little Death, eh?” I said and rubbed the bridge of my nose. “Why should I trust you?”

  “We didn’t have anything to do with the attack.” Izumi said and gave me one of her shy Japanese smiles. “But we do know the people who did. They have been kind enough to offer us their assistance with your unfortunate condition.”

  “So how about a little trade?” Raoul said and rubbed his hands together. “Our coincidentally useful potion for Kilestra.”

  “I don’t know where she is.” I said and looked at the supernatural Hunters. “Kilestra is out of your league. What do you really want?”

  “She has something our boss wants.” Izumi said as she leaned over Raoul. “You can tell her that.”

  “Sure thing.” I said and looked at the Suburban. “Nice repair job.”

  “This is a different Suburban.” Izumi said and adjusted her shiny black hair with a delicate white hand. “This one has red pinstripes that the other one lacked.”

  “Nice.” I said and turned back to Raoul, who was giving Izumi a stare that made her look away.

  “You can also tell Kilestra we’re running out
of patience.” Raoul said and tapped his watch. “We might have to get nasty soon.”

  “You two need to leave my Grandson alone.” Grandfather said from the doorway of his apartment building. “Or I’ll have to get involved.”

  “What are you gonna do old man?” Raoul said and laughed like a movie villain. “We know all about you, you’re nothing.”

  “Yeah, just keep thinking that.” Grandfather said and stared at Raoul with his best Clint Eastwood squint. “I’ve got a new blender that will make short work of a runt like you.”

  “You people are just weird.” Raoul said and rolled up the window.

  Grandfather winked at me as he turned and went back inside. I headed across the apartment complex to Ravenhawk’s place.

  “Hello, Wilhem.” Ravenhawk said when she opened the door. “What are you doing here?”

  Ravenhawk’s place was everything you’d expect from an excellent witch. One wall was filled with shelves and Apothecary drawers. Drying herbs hung on strings. Nearby she had one of those black topped lab tables from some school that no longer needed it. It was covered with items used in the cooking, mixing, and general spell and potion preparation. It was all neat and orderly.

  The room’s other half held a sofa and a TV. A bookshelf was filled with a mixture of Spell books and recent Bestsellers. It was all comfortingly familiar. Ravenhawk had picked this apartment because it was close to me. She had chosen to stay, even after we became somewhat less close to each other.

  “What did you do this time?” Ravenhawk said and studied me for a moment. “The Little Death? I’ve never seen an actual case before.”

  “Kilestra said it was used to torture vampires.” I said and watched Ravenhawk sort through her stockpile of herbs and potions. She was dressed in a slinky black night gown. I nodded and remembered the last time I had seen it. On her bedroom floor. That had been before Sally. The memories were a mixture of emotions.

  “I can still hear some of your thoughts.” Ravenhawk said and turned her head to smile at me. “I miss that sometimes. The Little Death will continue to cripple you. Feeding will drain your Donors and hurt them. You can only think of one woman, right? Jackie, is it? The Consulate Receptionist?”

  “Yeah.” I said and sat back into the thick cushions. “I wonder what she’s doing right now.”

  Ravenhawk mixed, heated, stirred, and chanted. I watched her with fascination as she quickly blended her preparations and set them to one side. She walked back over and sat down next to me.

  “This isn’t a cure.” Ravenhawk said. “It’s just a stop gap. The Little Death is like an epoxy, the cure gets created at the same time as the poison. Alchemy isn’t really my forte.”

  “And what about Jackie?” I said. “She didn’t exactly seem excited about the idea of being sexually bound to me.”

  “No one cared about humans affected by The Little Death.” Ravenhawk said. “The vampires had the power and the money so a curse and a cure was created for them. I can examine Jackie and see if I can do anything to lessen the symptoms.”

  “I’m sure she would appreciate that.” I said and took in Ravenhawk’s scents and energies.

  Ravenhawk smiled at me and went back to her work. She poured the cooled potion into two small bottles, and handed them to me. I gave Ravenhawk a hug and she returned it briefly, and then pushed me away. I caught a frown that quickly disappeared.

  “I’ll send you an invoice.” Ravenhawk said and showed me to the door. “This should keep you alive for a while.”

  I took a moment to drink my vial of potion. It had an unpleasant taste and I didn’t feel much of anything. Then a slow warmth spread over my body and an overwhelming relief that something was happening.

  I DROVE AROUND for a while and let my thoughts drift. I ended up at the Vampire Consulate with Raoul and Izumi following at a not too discreet distance. I saw a big piece of plywood where the plate glass window used to be. At least all the broken glass was gone.

  Andy looked up when I came in and showed open disappointment that I was alone. He looked through the glass door and noticed the Suburban in the parking lot behind my Dodge. He patted the bulge under his left armpit.

  “I could take care of those two.” Andy said and tapped a finger to his nose. “I’ve still got a couple of contacts at The Vending Authority.”

  “I’m a vampire, Andy.” I said and looked at Jackie’s empty desk with a pang of longing. “I know how to get rid of a body if I need to.”

  “We’re law abiding citizens.” Fedor’s voice called from his office. “Our business is tracking down Rogues and sharing our knowledge with other like-minded beings.”

  I looked at Andy and he made an up and down motion with the curled fingers of one hand. He returned his attention to a magazine with a Holland and Holland shotgun on the cover.

  “Fedor’s worried someone might be listening.” Andy said and turned a glossy page without looking up. “He thinks the attack came from an official source. He’s worried about his job.”

  I walked into Fedor’s office and the smell of fabric cleaner was thick in the air. The rug had a just shampooed look to it. There was also a nice undercurrent of lemon Pledge. Fedor sat behind his desk, sorting through several manila folders. They were stacked and fanned and just sitting on his huge desk.

  “Where’s Kilestra?” Fedor said and stopped sorting papers long enough to glare up at me. “Where’s Vladlena? And weren’t you supposed to be collecting some money that idiot Billy owes me?”

  “Kilestra is kind of busy at the moment.” I said and lowered myself into a recently mink oiled green leather chair. “Vladlena has been trying to kill me. And Billy seems to have lost his memory of owing you any money. He did give me this a couple of days ago.”

  I tossed the pouch of diamonds, two or three lighter than when Billy had given it to me, onto the desk. He picked up a bag and peeked at the contents. He poured the diamonds into his palm. He examined them with a deeply penetrating stare. Satisfied the diamonds were real, he dribbled them back into the small velvet bag and made them disappear into an inner jacket pocket, toot sweet.

  “That will just about cover the cleaning and the replacement of the window.” Fedor said and leaned back in his green leather Captain’s chair. He rested his elbows on the chair’s small arms and stared up at the ceiling for a moment. “Billy sold your Elf The Little Death. He’s been papering the town with his funny money. I think he needs to spend some quality time in one of my guest rooms downstairs.”

  “Maybe.” I said and absently fiddled with my beard. I tried to put the puzzle that was Billy together in my mind, without success. “How are you feeling? You were exposed to The Little Death a lot longer than I was.”

  “I’m fine.” Fedor said and returned to sorting his paperwork. “As long as I don’t see Jackie.”

  “I got Ravenhawk the Witch to look at me.” I said and pulled the small bottle out of my jacket pocket. “She knew about The Little Death and was able to whip something up.”

  “Very kind of her.” Fedor said as he took the bottle and gazed at the cloudy contents. “I’ve never liked magic.”

  “She said she’ll send you a bill.”

  Fedor drank the contents as quickly as he could. I could see the warmth spread over his body as it had over mine. I looked up and saw Fedor breathe out a sigh of relief.

  “Ravenhawk said it’s just a temporary solution.” I said and shrugged.

  “Better than none at all.” Fedor said as he shuffled a few more papers in a seemingly random fashion. “Then we can get back to business. I’d like you to track down the Werecoyote Elisabeth Gould. I have some information that she is the source of the drugs Billy has been peddling lately.”

  “What’s the finder’s fee on Beth?” I said and stood up.

  “If you actually manage to bring her to me, I’ll see what I can do.” Fedor said and pulled out a document with Top Secret stamped on it. “The Captain’s people found Beth’s fingerprint on
the packing the M18 smoke grenade was sent in. It was re-purposed by adding The Little Death to the smoke mixture. The Captain said it was a professional job.”

  “And you think Beth is an explosives expert?” I said. I had watched Beth lob bombs in a video game. I wasn’t sure it was a skill that translated readily to the real world.

  “Just find her.” Fedor said and looked around suspiciously. He spoke in my mind. ‘Trust no one.’

  I WALKED DOWN the block toward the Nightshade Gallery. I was surprised to see someone standing in front of the gallery. It was Sammy the Cincinnati Seer. He was standing in a pool of yellow light from the lamppost on the corner. One hand was wrapped around a wooden pole with a large white sign attached to it. The sign said Repent Ye All Sinners For The End Of The World Is Nigh. The words at the bottom were a bit crowded.

  Sammy was wearing his usual brown robe that looked to be made of sackcloth. It was tied at the waist with a thick rope. The robe stopped about mid-calf and I could see he was wearing thick leather sandals with straps. There was a small wooden bowl next to his right foot. He looked like one of those street performers that came to life once you gave them a dollar.

  I walked up to him and he remained still. I reached into my pocket and pulled out my cash. I peeled off a bill and dropped it in the bowl. Sammy’s eyes opened and he stared at me.

  “You have seen the end of the world!” Sammy shouted in my face. “Yet you do not act to stop it. That is a sign of wisdom.”

  “Is it?” I said and looked up and down the empty street. “I’m guessing you don’t get a lot of business here. Sundance Square is just a few blocks over. There’s always something going on there.”

  “The End is Nigh!” Sammy said and spread his arms wide. The sign flapped as he moved it. He tilted his head back and looked toward the heavens. His long hair scattered in a light breeze. He slowly lowered his face and I saw the light in his eyes. “You alone will live to see the new world.”

  “You know about the Elf?” I said and felt a sudden dryness in my mouth.

  “I have been waiting so long.” Sammy said and smiled at me. Then he took a deep breath and slowly let it out. As he did so, his body relaxed and his eyes closed. He returned to the way he had been before I had given him a dollar. I was tempted to drop another bill in the bowl, but decided against it. There are only so many times you want to hear the end is near.

  I turned and went inside the Nightshade Gallery. I was hoping to talk to Ravenhawk again. It was another slow night, not an official Mixer, just a collection of people and vampires with nothing better to do. One or two were actually looking at the art. Jake greeted me when I walked in.

  “Master Wilhem.” Jake said in a booming voice. “So good to see you.”

  “Is Ravenhawk here?” I said and looked over at the door to her rooms. The door was closed, but I could see a little light around the edges and feel some kind of magic being performed.

  “She’s channeling someone’s Spirit Guide at the moment.” Jake said and let his face go slack. “At least she closed the door so I don’t have to listen to that damned Indian chanting.”

  “If you don’t like her brand of magic.” I said and raised an eyebrow at Jake. “Why let her have rooms here?”

  “Well.” Jake said and leaned in close to me. “People dumb enough to pay for advice from long dead Native American goat herders are also dumb enough to buy art.”

  I felt something ping in my mind and I looked over at the small crowd. Grandfather was there among a small group of people. He regaled them with one of his stories. He looked over at me and nodded. He excused himself and headed my way.

  “Jake here tells me he got you something special.” Grandfather said and looked around. “But he won’t tell me what it is. He’s ruining my reputation as a world class gossip.”

  “Is it still in your office?” I said and cut my eyes to Jake. He pressed his lips together and nodded. I looked at Ravenhawk’s closed door. “Could you ask her to join us when she’s done?”

  “Sure thing.” Jake said and crossed his arms. “Should I arrange a hot rock massage and a pedicure as well?”

  “I like hot rocks.” Grandfather said and looked off. I grabbed him by the shirt and dragged him toward Jake’s office.

  “Whoa.” Grandfather said as he looked at the painting of Desiara. “I know all Elves look alike, but this one looks kind of familiar. Have you shown this to Katie?”

  “No.” I said and sat down in Jake’s chair. “Not sure how to bring up a painting of her in chains on a Fort Worth rooftop. Especially one that was painted a thousand years before there was a Fort Worth.”

  “Elves.” Grandfather said and shook his head. “Been doing a bit of research, on Elves in general. One of those races that believe the world is going to be destroyed for its sins. Judging from this, I’d say the Day of Judgment is at hand.”

  Ravenhawk blew into the room and closed the door. Her classic Native American features were all business here at the Gallery. She was wearing some kind of ceremonial outfit that made her look like a poster for Arizona tourism. Made me remember why I had fallen for her. I admired the strong lines and bright colors. She walked up to the painting and stood with her hands on her hips. “I told Jake this was some kind of a binding spell.” Ravenhawk said and shook her head. “This is high level Elf magic, I don’t channel dead Elves, they don’t like me.”

  “Is it dangerous?” I said and stood beside her. “Is she dangerous?”

  “Let me show you something.” Ravenhawk said and reached out and shifted the angle of the light on the painting. The scene changed. The woman’s chains were gone and she floated in empty air. The buildings behind her were in ruins. The sky had changed from blue to brown. The Elf smiled and a green halo surrounded her head. I had first hand experience with the scene, she was smiling at me. An instant later, the scene returned to the sad woman in chains.

  “Looks dangerous to me.” Grandfather said and blew out a breath. “I’ll have to ask Fedor if I can have a peek at his archives. I don’t think the public library is going to help with this one.”

  “This is the lock to a prison cell.” Ravenhawk said and looked at me. “Where there’s a lock, there’s a key.”

  “A magical key.” I said and remembered Fredric pouring over a magical text and Kilestra taking that same book when she left the Jangling Spurs. This was a lock that I was sure shouldn’t be opened.

  “I couldn’t help but notice your portrait in her hands.” Ravenhawk said and pointed to the small oval in the painting. “I think that’s significant. I think it means you’re one of the keys.”

  “I’m guessing it was no accident that Katie wound up in your hands.” Grandfather said and shook his head. “I’ll see what I can find out.”

  “Did you happen to notice that madman on the sidewalk outside?” Ravenhawk said and raised an eyebrow at me. “He’s famous for showing up places where some big disaster is about to happen.”

  “You know Sammy?” I said and tried to remember where I had seen him before. I couldn’t put my finger on it. “He told me the end was near.”

  “He tells everyone that.” Ravenhawk said and looked off with a thoughtful expression. “He’s bound to be right one of these times.”

  I felt a shiver go down my back and I looked over at the painting again. I saw the Goddess destroying the world and I felt again her love for me. It was not an entirely good feeling.

  I DROVE BACK to Poly and the Dodge bounced and jostled as it fell into one pothole after another. The streets were filled with parked cars, some that appeared to be permanent fixtures. Every house seemed to have one car in the driveway and at least two parked out front. I found a parking spot in front of Billy’s house. Maybe no one wanted to risk pissing off the local vampire by parking here.

  The clouds rumbled and there was a light mist giving the night a muggy feeling. The damp air made Billy’s cement porch slick under my Tevas. A scruffy looking cat hissed at me and I hissed
back. Billy opened the door before I could knock.

  “Uh, hey Wil.” He said and stepped out onto the porch beside me. “Nice night, huh?”

  “You didn’t tell me you sold The Little Death to that Elf you saw the other day.” I said and showed Billy a flicker of my anger that made my eyes flash. “You almost got me killed. And drugging Fedor is not the best idea in the world either.”

  “Fedor?” Billy said and wrapped an arm around my shoulder and patted my chest. “Look, I had no idea that the Elf wanted to use The Little Death on Fedor. I thought she wanted to kill Carlo or maybe Fredric. I could feel the hate pouring off her, major bad vibes, but her hatred was clearly aimed at Carlo. I’ve never liked Carlo, so starving him to death would be no prob for me.”

  “So you knew the effect and you still sold it?” I said and pushed Billy back against the front wall. “Fedor thinks you need to spend a little time in one of the lower levels at the Consulate.”

  “That’s not right.” Billy said and tried to shrug. “I didn’t do anything. I’m just the middle man.”

  “Yeah.” I said and picked him up and slammed him against the wall. “I got a dose of it as well.”

  “Yeah, but clearly you just got a small hit.” Billy said as he kicked his feet in the air. “Dude, you look fine. Well, mostly fine. I mean, I’ve seen you looking worse...”

  “I got a potion from a friend.” I said and lowered Billy to his feet. “But I hear this was some special blend of The Little Death.”

  “It’s good to have friends.” Billy said and rubbed his chin. “Besides, Beth is like the cook and I don’t know the recipe. I’m more on the distribution side.”

  “Yeah, Beth.” I said and pushed Billy ahead of me into the house. “I need to talk to Beth anyway.”

  The living room was filled with the same random crap and the smells of long neglect. Billy looked around and seemed surprised that no one was there. He relaxed.

  “Beth has been spending a lot of time upstairs.” Billy said and pointed to the dark staircase. “She’s in the room on the left. I think.”

  I took the stairs two at a time and reached the top in a couple of seconds. I turned to the black painted door on the left and opened it without knocking.

  Beth had a clothing optional approach to life. She was currently wearing some kind of body stocking made of black netting which left her naked by most standards. Beth wasn’t exactly a beauty, but the show was always free and I had to force my eyes up to her face.

  “Hey.” Beth said without looking up from a large stop sign she was using as a table. “What’re you doing here?”

  The room was small and the only light came from a bare light bulb in a small lamp. The walls were covered with posters featuring rock stars from the 60s and 70s and the floor had a multicolored shag rug. Beth was bent over a tray with many small compartments, each of which contained some kind of herb or oil of dubious origin. The room smelled like a head shop and I was slightly surprised there wasn’t sitar music playing softly in the background.